# Can someone explain why I wake up with scrapes & cuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234 "2006-07-12T20:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/1 "2006-07-12T20:27:15Z")
Millions, Ever since I’ve been a kid, I’ll periodically wake up with very thin but sometimes fairly long cuts on my arms, my back, my face, or my neck. I’m not especially troubled by it, and they’re usually mild, surface wounds that heal in about 3 days. But this morning I awoke to a fairly sizeable one down my neck. Is this common? Does anyone else experience this? Can anyone give me some insight as to why I might do this? And yes, I do cut my nails regularly and they are free of jagged edges. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/2 "2006-07-12T20:33:06Z")
The only reasonable explanations are that you sleepwalk, you fall off the bed and never know it, or that you scratch yourself with your fingers in your sleep. I have had that happen periodically as well. As a matter of fact, I woke up two days ago with scratches around my eyes and they are just healing. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/3 "2006-07-12T20:34:46Z")
Does this usually happen in the winter? I get unexplained skin cracks on my hands, forearms, and face during the winter due to the cold. If not, I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/4 "2006-07-12T20:35:17Z")
[Stigmata](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmata)? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/5 "2006-07-12T20:36:12Z")
Ghosts? Gremlins? Phantom Dennis? ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/6 "2006-07-12T20:37:31Z")
[Demons](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=374183&highlight=demon) Happens all the time ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/7 "2006-07-12T20:47:12Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Does this usually happen in the winter? I get unexplained skin cracks on my hands, forearms, and face during the winter due to the cold. > > If not, I got nothing. I’m born & raised in California (the warm parts…which, granted, is most of it), so it’s not that. I’ve basically been assuming what **Shagnasty** said but was secretly hoping for something more like what **Bobo** suggested. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/8 "2006-07-12T21:28:21Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#): > > I’m born & raised in California (the warm parts…which, granted, is most of it), so it’s not that. I’ve basically been assuming what **Shagnasty** said but was secretly hoping for something more like what **Bobo** suggested. I live here too, and yet I get cracking on my knuckles all the time, although never on my neck! It’s just bad skin on my part, and is caused by dry weather and not the cold. Has anyone ever told you that you are restless sleeper? I tend to thrash around, although it rarely leads to visible injuries. Other than that, hmm, ever seen Fight Club? ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/9 "2006-07-12T21:50:01Z")
This isn’t cracking we’re talking about. It’s more like 3 inch long sliver cuts. And I’m supposedly a fairly restful sleeper, although lacerations would seem to prove otherwise. Unless, as you’ve suggested, I’m Tyler Durden, which I’m going to store along with the stigmata, demons, gnomes, and fairies suggestions. (The highly likely ones, obviously). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/10 "2006-07-12T21:54:54Z")
Asuming you aren’t just neglecting to mention the bed of nails: Have you ever found these lacerations in spots that you couldn’t have reached yourself? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/11 "2006-07-12T21:55:03Z")
Assuming you aren’t just neglecting to mention the bed of nails: Have you ever found these lacerations in spots that you couldn’t have reached yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/12 "2006-07-12T21:58:12Z")
> [@Shoshana](#): > > Asuming you aren’t just neglecting to mention the bed of nails: > > Have you ever found these lacerations in spots that you couldn’t have reached yourself? Nope. My pillow’s full of glass, though. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/13 "2006-07-12T22:01:50Z")
Do you have a cat? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Red\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Rover)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/14 "2006-07-12T22:02:23Z")
Did you check your mattress for any broken springs that might be poking out? Do you own a cat? ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/15 "2006-07-12T22:07:23Z")
> [@Red Rover](#): > > Did you check your mattress for any broken springs that might be poking out? Do you own a cat? I’ve had this happen in my bed, hotel beds, sleeping bags, airplanes, and once, when I stumbled blotto into a bush and fell asleep. That last one makes sense, actually. And no cats. Not anymore. ---
**Author:** ![happywaffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee59a6/32.png) [@happywaffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happywaffle)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/16 "2006-07-12T22:34:21Z")
What, no one’s mentioned aliens yet? This thing (mysterious cuts/scratches/pokes) are one of the most commonly-cited pieces of “evidence” by nutjobs who claim they’re abducted in their sleep at night. Which leads to my point: you can get dinged and scratched by a lot of different things during the day, and you in particular might be more susceptible to superficial scratching than others (I’ll leave that explanation to the doctors). You get a light scratch, don’t think much of it, overnight a visible scratch forms, and suddenly bing! Where did THIS come from? That’s my thought, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/17 "2006-07-12T22:52:34Z")
Is it possible that these are small injuries you’re acquiring throughout the day which only appear as bruises and scratches the next morning? (Sometimes bruises take a while to show up.) I’m a very clumsy person, so when people ask me where I’ve gotten this bruise or that, I honestly can’t say. I don’t know. (Some people, like my doctor, have taken that as a sign I’m abused.) I bang into, trip over and smack into stationary objects so many times during the course of the day that remembering a single injury is almost impossible. It might have happened when I walked into the corner of a wall. It might have happened when I tripped on the stairs. It might have happened when I ran into the doorframe, and etc, etc. As a result, I’m always finding new bruises and scratches on my person when I look at myself in the shower in the morning. “Huh. Wonder where THAT came from.” Had a grapefruit-sized bruise on my thigh last week, and I can’t remember how I got it. Must have walked into something, and you’d think that I’d remember something that left that big of a bruise, but I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Schuyler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@Schuyler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schuyler)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/18 "2006-07-13T01:24:46Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#): > > I’ll periodically wake up with very thin but sometimes fairly long cuts on my arms, my back, my face, or my neck. When you say “periodically”, is this say once a month, maybe the night of the full moon? If so, you may want to get that checked. Otherwise, I’ve got nothin’. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/19 "2006-07-13T01:30:53Z")
You’re probably scratching. Try sleeping with cotton gloves on your hands. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234/20 "2006-07-13T03:03:20Z")
> [@choosybeggar](#): > > You’re probably scratching. Try sleeping with cotton gloves on your hands. If you add the tuxedo and cape, it’ll be _tres chic_. It _does_ increase the risk of being staked through the heart, having your mouth filled with garlic, being decapitated then buried upside down under a crossroads, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-why-i-wake-up-with-scrapes-cuts/364234.md?page=2)